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Thursday, 25 May 2017

9 FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN YEMEN

9 FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN YEMEN

A brutal conflict is devastating
Yemen, where two thirds of the population now need humanitarian assistance or
protection in order to survive. The situation is deteriorating so quickly, it
could reach a point of no return this year.

The humanitarian community
requested US$2.1 billion for 2017 to meet Yemen’s most urgent needs. But by
mid-April, barely 15 per cent of this appeal had been funded.

1. YEMEN IS NOW
THE WORLD’S LARGEST HUMANITARIAN CRISIS.

Due to the escalation of conflict
in 2015, an estimated 18.8 million people in Yemen need some form of
humanitarian assistance or protection.

2. THE CRISIS IS
ENTIRELY MAN-MADE

The conflict is taking an
enormous toll on Yemen’s civilian population. More than 7,000 people have been
killed and more than 42,000 have been injured since the violence escalated just
over two years ago. Air strikes and localized fighting have destroyed the
economy and moved an already weak and impoverished country towards social,
economic and institutional collapse.

3. YEMEN IS ON
THE BRINK OF FAMINE

Yemenis are facing the world’s
largest food security crisis. Some 7 million people do not know where their
next meal will come from, and one in every two children is stunted.

4. MILLIONS OF
PEOPLE HAVE FLED THEIR HOMES

An estimated 2 million people in
Yemen are internally displaced due to the crisis. Many have taken refuge in
schools or informal settlements, with limited access to essential services.

5. THE CONFLICT HAS SEVERELY
DISRUPTED THE IMPORTATION OF ESSENTIAL GOODS INTO YEMEN.

Yemen relies on imports for 80 to
90 per cent of its food, fuel and medicine. Al Hudaydah Port—the country’s main
port and a lifeline for 60 per cent of food insecure people—is operating at
partial capacity.

6. THE HEALTH
SYSTEM IS ON THE VERGE OF COLLAPSE

Stocks of medical supplies are
dangerously low in Yemen, and many doctors and nurses are working for free or
receiving substantially reduced wages. Humanitarians estimate that every 10
minutes, a child under age 5 dies of preventable causes.

7. CLEAN WATER
IS NOW A SCARCE COMMODITY

More than 8 million people lack
access to safe drinking water and sanitation in Yemen. The population is now at
risk of disease outbreaks, such as cholera, dengue and scabies.

8. WOMEN AND
GIRLS ARE AMONG THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN THE CRISIS.

The crisis is taking a heavy toll
on women and girls. They face frightening prospects, including abuse,
exploitation and forced marriage. Gender-based violence was prevalent before
the crisis, but UNFPA estimates that rates have increased by more than 63 per
cent since 2015, meaning that some 2.6 million women and girls are now at risk.

9. THE HUMANITARIAN COMMUNITY IS
READY TO RESPOND, BUT IT URGENTLY NEEDS FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND ACCESS.

Today, some 120
organizations—including 80 national organizations—are working tirelessly to
respond to the crisis. So far this year, the humanitarian community has reached
millions of people with life-saving assistance. But without access to affected
people and adequate funding, millions of lives will continue to hang in the
balance.